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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Achica is currently having an Orla Kiely homewares sale, which includes a big selection of coffee mug that are now £6 each (originally £10). Check out all the pieces below - the sale ends in three days!

Here's the adorable packaging it came in - a long box with the Giant Abacus print with an outer sleeve.

The inside is lined with the Stem print.

And underneath is a care and instruction booklet.

This was one of my favorite watch designs because I love the quatrefoil face and the pinky tones - its overall look is so pretty and dainty, which I thought would pair well with dressier outfits. And it's hard to tell from this photo, but it also has a black Stem printed face. There are no numbers or even little ticks so it can be difficult to tell the time quickly.

There is rose gold-toned hardware and two orange straps, which I thought added a nice contrast.

The underside of the strap is embossed with the Flower Spot print.

And as you can see, the strap is made of leather.

One of the things that concerned me about this watch is how delicate it looked and felt. It just looked so tiny on my wrist (I know it doesn't appear that way in this photo, but in real life it does) and overall I felt like I'd have to baby this watch so it wouldn't break or get scratched. However, it's been holding up nicely and I haven't really been babying it too much when I wear it. I just love how girly and dainty this watch looks - I've worn it with dressy and casual outfits, and it pairs well with both.

Thursday, April 28, 2016

This bag has such a pretty and simple design - just a couple embossed Stems on the front pocket...

And plain on the back. This mustard yellow is one of my favorite colors! It's a bit more muted than what I was expecting, but I still love it.

The bottom has four feet.

The top zipper extends down one of the sides and is held together with a single stud.

There's gold-toned hardware and black leather trims throughout.

I initially wasn't sure if I was going to keep this bag because the shoulder drop isn't quite long enough to fit comfortably over my shoulder, which is how I intended on wearing it. I can only carry it with my hands or in the crook of my arm. I thought that would be a deal breaker, but after I took these photos, I realized what a gorgeous bag it was and decided to keep it :)

I have a love-hate relationship with this bag. On the one hand, I absolutely LOVE its design - it was probably my favorite piece from Orla Kiely's Fall/Winter 2015 collection. But on the other hand, it's given me so many issues that I almost hate it. Read on to find out why...

Like I mentioned above, I really love this bag's gridded pattern, which reminds me of graph paper. The cream colored lines against the black background go really well with the yellow trims. There is a single Orla Kiely logo embossed on the front.

The pattern repeats on the back.

The sides, however, have this beautiful contrasting shade of mustard yellow. This bag is very structured, so it will hold its shape over time.

The bottom of the bag has four feet.

The bag opens up through a clasp closure...and this is where the trouble begins...

The clasp itself is not exactly the strongest, so the bag opens up quite easily - I can just brush my arm up against it and it'll pop open. And this happens. A lot. So this bag doesn't really give me any sense of security and I find myself holding it really close so it doesn't pop open, which can be quite annoying.

There's a single adjustable leather shoulder strap that's attached to two tiny hooks on the top of the bag.

I'm actually a bit worried that over time these will pop off...and that's because this bag is so HEAVY. Even empty, it's just feels so bulky and heavy. So when it's full, it just feels like it puts so much strain on that single leather strap that I worry it'll break over time.

So let's get back into some of the pros - it does have a nice wide opening so you can see all your items easily.

It has a sand-colored Linear Stem jacquard lining.

One zippered pocket.

And one open compartment on the other side with a key ring.

Now here's the thing that annoys me the MOST about this bag - when I close it, it doesn't close evenly on both sides. If you look on the right, both sides fit together quite snugly...but on the left there's a slight gap. Yes, I know it's tiny, but it drives me C-R-A-Z-Y. I've tried to even it out by actually bending it back into shape, but that gap just won't close up.

Here's what it looks like when the bag is just slightly open.

Again on the right, nice and snug...

On the left - a gap!

And lastly, this bag is just so high maintenance. Because it's so heavy and bulky, I find that it bumps up against everything so easily - I've already nicked one of the corners, and this was just two days after I got this bag. I feel like it's so prone to scratches that I'm constantly babying it. And now, it's been in its dust bag for the last couple of months because I just can't bare to take it to work and risk anymore scratches. I feel like I can only use this bag for special occasions or if I'm going somewhere nice. It's gorgeous to look at, but kind of a pain to use.

So have you ever had one of these, ladies? A bag that you loved...but hated at the same time? A bag that, even though it doesn't really work for you, you still overlook all of its flaws because it's just that pretty??? Do tell - I'd love to hear if you've had a bag like this before!